The Venue

Nokia World 2011 is being held at Londons Excel convention center.

LONDON  Culminating more than eight months of work in partnership with Microsoft, Nokia on Oct. 26 unveiled its new line of phones powered by Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system, the Lumia line. At Nokia World 2011 here, the company's annual event for customers, partners and developers, Nokia demonstrated the first smartphones in its Windows Phone-based Nokia Lumia range. Nokia officials said the Lumia 800 is replete with the company's best social and Internet experience and familiar Nokia elements, such as high-level imaging capabilities and new signature experiences. Meanwhile, the less expensive Lumia 710 is a "no-nonsense smartphone that brings the new smartphone family to people around the world. However, users in parts of the world other than the United States will get their hands on the new Nokia Windows Phones earlier. Nokia will begin shipping the phones to Europe in November and Asia by the end of the year. However, the company "will be introducing a portfolio of products into the United States in early 2012," Nokia President and CEO Stephen Elop said during his keynote at the show.

Darryl K. Taft covers the development tools and developer-related issues beat from his office in Baltimore. He has more than 10 years of experience in the business and is always looking for the next scoop. Taft is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and was named 'one of the most active middleware reporters in the world' by The Middleware Co. He also has his own card in the 'Who's Who in Enterprise Java' deck.